TCHS Dominates In 1st Round

Courtesy of TCHS

In a rematch of last year’s firstround playoff game, the Toombs County High School Bulldogs football team hosted the Southwest Macon Patriots in the opening round of the GHSA State Playoffs at the PIT—and the result was just as decisive. The No. 1 ranked Bulldogs delivered a commanding 62-8 victory to advance to the next round.

The Bulldogs wasted no time, taking the opening kickoff and marching down the field on a 9-play, 63-yard drive. Senior quarterback TJ Stanley capped the drive with a 1-yard touchdown run, and Alex Otero’s extra point gave the Bulldogs an early 7-0 lead with 9:27 left in the first quarter.

The Red Bullet Defense forced a Patriot punt on their first possession, and Stanley struck again, this time finding senior receiver LaGonza Hayward for a 9-yard touchdown pass. The Bulldogs extended their lead to 13-0 with 7:13 remaining in the first quarter.

On the ensuing kickoff, a miscue by the Patriots allowed the Bulldogs to recover the ball at the Patriot 37-yard line. Despite a 15-yard penalty pushing them back, sophomore Alex Scott sprinted 38 yards for another Toombs touchdown, making it 20-0 with 6:15 left in the quarter.

The Patriots repeated their kickoff blunder, and Toombs Co. recovered once more. Six plays later, sophomore Donterrius Mincey added a 3-yard touchdown run to give the Bulldogs a commanding 27-0 lead with 3:37 left in the first quarter.

The Bulldogs’ dominance continued into the second quarter. Stanley connected with junior Hayden Roy on an 8-yard touchdown pass, Hayward on a 7-yard scoring strike, junior wide receiver Gavin Fletcher on a 28-yard touchdown, and Zaylan Davis capped off the half with a rushing touchdown. continued from page

At halftime, the Bulldogs held an overwhelming 55-0 lead.

With a running clock in the second half due to the mercy rule, Toombs sent in the younger players to finish the game. Sophomore Zay Walton added the final touchdown with a 1-yard run in the third quarter, securing the Bulldogs’ 62-8

victory. Stanley delivered an exceptional performance, completing 16 of 18 passes for 246 yards and four touchdowns—all in a quarter and a half. In total, eight different Bulldogs found the end zone, highlighting the team’s depth and balanced attack.

Next Up: Commerce at The Pit The No. 1 ranked Bulldogs (9-1) will host No. 7 Commerce (8-3) on Friday night in the second round of the GHSA State Playoffs. This will mark the first-ever meeting between the two programs. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. at The Pit. Fans are encouraged to PACK THE PIT as this could potentially be the final home game of the season, depending on playoff results and bracket outcomes.

Donterrius Mincey cuts up the sideline during the Bulldogs game against Southwest Macon in the first round of the GHSA State Playoffs.Photo by TCHS

Mike Polke works around a Southwest Macon defender in the first round of the GHSA State Playoffs.Photo by TCHS